


Turn it off!

by FrostyJuniper (orphan_account)



Series: Jeffmads Month 2019 [3]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: James cannot sing or dance but supports his broadway bf, M/M, Thomas is Elder McKinley, book of mormon - Freeform, musical AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 14:47:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19087219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/FrostyJuniper
Summary: Jeffmads Month, Day Three: PerformanceThomas is a rising Broadway star, and James is his boyfriend.





	Turn it off!

Thomas took a deep breath. And another. And another. He was about to go on stage as Elder McKinley in his first performance- ever. Well, at least his first on Broadway performance. Was he terrified? Yeah. Were his hands clammy and cold? Yeah. Was he absolutely fucking pumped? Hell yeah. 

He walked out, and as if in a daze, played out the part of the repressed Mormon Elder, leader of District Nine. He would say, when he woke up from the reciting lines that he knew by heart, and remembering all of his cues, was during Turn It Off. Specifically, when he began singing. 

The blue lights shone, his hands trembled, and he begun.

“I’ve got a feeling, you could be feeling, a whole lot better than you do today.” The microphone seemed to carry over the audience in a way that it didn’t before, in the rehearsals and he sung his next line happily, the stage fright replaced by a rush of adrenaline. “You say you got a problem, well that’s no problem, it's super easy not to feel that way.” 

His white blouse was tucked in carefully, and he could feel his belt chafing slightly-it was a bit too tight. The pause was over, just a beat, before the next line begun. “When you start to get confused because of thoughts in your head..” and switching to a practiced, happier voice, he continued “Don't feel those feelings! Hold them in instead.”

Making direct eye-contact with the actor who played Elder Price, he gave him his intentionally fake smile, as he nodded and sang “Turn it off! Like a light switch, just go flick.” He gave pause, so that the little click effect could sound, before energetically singing, fully into the character by now, “It's a cool little Mormon trick. We do it all the time, when your feeling certain feelings that just don't feel right, treat those pesky feelings like a reading light.” 

He was holding the actor who played Elder Price by the shoulder now, leading him around in a half dance, half walk. “And turn em off! Like a light switch, just go bap. Really what’s so hard about that? Turn it off!” All the Elders chimed in, with their repeat of the last line, and Thomas remembered why he did this. This feeling of floating, like everything around him was zapped with electricity, and the air thrummed with the power and feeling.

As Elder Church started his solo about his abused mother, and they all adopted their sad and uncomfortable expressions, Thomas carefully fiddled with his belt. Not the best time, but you know. It happens. Clicking it tight, eh got into position to begin marching around in a circle, and as the first Turn it off appeared, they began smiling widely and dancing in the little circle.

After repeating the chorus once more, Elder Thomas (which was always a bit jarring, like that’s /his/ name), sang about his sister with cancer and Iphones, and whatnot.

And then, it was time for him, his solo. For a bi man, it was strange for him to be singing this, but it happened. At least it got him in character better. “When I was in fifth grade, I had a friend- Steve Blade, we were as close as two friends could be…” He began walking away from them, according to the choreographer, this represented his loneliness, though Thomas didn’t think a simple walk away could convey loneliness. “One thing led to another. And soon I would discover I was having really strange feelings for Steve. I thought about us, on a deserted island, we're all alone. We'd swim naked in the sea and then he'd try and…”

He shook himself, all over, and continued. “WOAH! Turn it off! Like a light switch there it's gone.  
My hetero side just won!” Internally he was laughing, he knew James would find it funny as well. After all, what hetero side? There wasn't one that he knew of.

“I'm all better now. Boys should be with girls, that's heavenly father's plan. So if you ever feel you'd rather be with a man...Turn it off!” There were assorted cheers from the rest of the Elders, until Elder Price spoke up, with his spiel about how it was ok to be gay as long as you didn't act upon it.

This was his favorite part of the song, they began crouching down, the soft melody and two-part chorus always made him smile. 

He stepped into the spotlight and sang “Being gay is bad-” and pointed at Elder Price with a small wink “-But lying is worse.” And pointed at Elder Cunningham. 

“So just realize you have a curable curse and turn it off!” They all went into chorus, and pulled up their pink vests, which attached to a magnet on the back of their shirt so that it was easier to put on. The practiced motions of the tap and the clickety-clack while they were still singing overwhelmed Thomas- in a good way. 

After their dance number was done, he asked Elder Price “Now, how do you feel?”

 

“The same.” He responded.

Thomas wagged his finger at him, and sang “Then you've only got yourself to blame. You didn't pretend hard enough. Imagine that your brain is made of tiny boxes and find the box that's gay and CRUSH IT! Okay?” 

In an almost affronted voice, Elder Price responded “No, no, I'm not having gay thoughts!”

As they all cheered, and finished the song, Thomas went back into his autopilot, letting everything wash over him as he finished the show. 

After his final bow, and all the cheers, he gulped down some water and went straight to the lobby, where they were meant to mingle. However, Thomas only had one person on his mind- James. Of course he signed whatever was thrust at him, but as he pushed through the crowd, he was looking for the familiar gray suit. When he felt someone hug him from behind, he panicked for a second- he was sweaty, and disgusting, and wanted his personal space. However, when a low rumble of a whisper was directed at him, he immediately relaxed.

“James! Did you like it?” He asked.

“No.” He responded, and Thomas’s heart broke for a second. “I loved it. You looked great up there.”

“You’re so cliche, you know that? I love you.”

“I love you too, Thomas.”


End file.
